Wind energy is one of the fastest growing job opportunities today. The wind industry in the United States has been expanding at a rate of 35-40% per year for the last few years and is expected to continue to expand rapidly under the alternative energy-friendly leadership of President Obama.

According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the wind industry already employs 50,000 people in the United States, and this figure is expected to increase at least tenfold, to 500,000, by 2030.

Wind energy careers will be available in numerous fields to those with the interest and educational background to claim them.

The main areas of job growth in the wind industry are expected to include resource analysis, manufacturing, installation, and management, as well as research. A smaller number of jobs are expected to be created in areas such as public relations, human resources, and other support business personnel for wind energy companies.

The wind industry will employ people with backgrounds in fields such as:

• engineering
• electrical engineering
• construction
• meteorology
• aerodynamics
• computer science
• mathematics
• business

In many cases, a general degree in one of the above (or related) fields might be enough to get a good-paying job in the wind industry. However, a growing number of universities and technical schools in the United States are offering specific degree programs or certification relating to wind energy. The US Department of Energy website Wind Powering America offers a list of wind energy degree programs and other educational opportunities.

Wind industry sources also recommend that students interested in the industry seek out a wind energy internship before graduation. Internships offer valuable real world experience, as well as an opportunity to network and make connections within the industry.

Wind energy also offers opportunities for landowners with good wind resources. Through net metering programs, landowners who wish to install a small wind project on their property can earn extra income by selling unused power generated on their property to local energy companies.

A growing number of farmers, ranchers, and other large-scale landowners are also leasing land to wind energy corporations to develop wind farms on their property. Wind farms can be combined with many field crops for extra income, and combine especially well with livestock grazing operations. For more information, visit Wind Energy Basics for Farmers.